Best of all, you'll ...

Ride a snowcoach to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, where you’re met with sheer, painted walls and the ice-columned majesty of Lower Falls.

Other over-the-snow ventures on cross-country skis and snowshoes reveal a landscape locked in winter's frozen embrace.

General Notes

Small group size; max of 14 participants.

Suggested Reading List

View 8 books

Yellowstone Place Names, 2nd edition

by Lee Whittlesey

Yellowstone National Park Historian's well-researched and entertaining reference source for information on many of Yellowstone's place names and their origins.

Decade of the Wolf, revised and updated edition: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone

by Douglas W. Smith and Gary Ferguson

Research and storytelling meld to document wolf recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wolf biologist, Smith, and nature writer, Ferguson, provide an inside look at the Yellowstone Wolf Recovery Project ten years after the controversial decision was made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to reintroduce wolves into the park. Smith, wolf project leader who has worked with the Yellowstone Wolf Project since its inception, has studied wolves for 25 years. Ferguson, whose writing largely arises from intimate experiences, followed through the seasons, the first 14 wolves released into Yellowstone National Park. Their collaboration offers hard facts and 'impressionistic portraits of individual wolves that reveal their epic lives full of struggle and conquest.' Here is the history of the return of the top predator to Yellowstone.

Searching for Yellowstone: Ecology and Wonder in the Last Wilderness

by Paul Schullery

Eloquent, elegant, truthful and practical - an environmental history of America's best idea, Yellowstone.

To Save the Wild Bison: Life on the Edge in Yellowstone

by Mary Ann Franke

The author brings clarity and revelation to one of Yellowstone's most complex struggles by tracing the history of bison and humans into the 19th century and further into the national parks era. Here's discussion of bison management and park policy - the battle over brucellosis, snowmobiles and groomed winter roads, desires of Native Americans, bison and predators.

Restoring a Presence: American Indians and Yellowstone National Park

by Peter Nabokov and Lawrence Loendorf

This first comprehensive account of Indians in and around Yellowstone corrects more than a century of ignorance. Detailed here is Yellowstone's native peoples and their story of a long engagement with a remarkable landscape.

Yellowstone's Ski Pioneers: Peril and Heroism on the Winter Trail

by Paul Schullery

The book chronicles historic army winter ski patrols, wildlife stories and other ski adventures as protagonists tell their own stories. The author interprets the social climate and attitudes of the times to present Yellowstone in the 1870s and 80s when the nearest town was several days travel away and summer tourists were rare. Poachers were the area's primary winter visitors during an era when wildlife destruction was occurring throughout the American West. The book places the role of present-day park management in perspective. It interprets our history and explains how and why park policies have evolved and provides insight into wildlife conservation and policy and winter travel in Yellowstone.

Forest and Stream magazine sent one of its most talented writers, Emerson Hough, to Yellowstone in 1894 to document the decline in bison numbers. Hough, legendary guide Billy Hofer, pioneering photographer F. Jay Haynes and other incredibly tough individuals set out on a 200-mile expedition into Yellowstone's frigid, snow-blanketed landscape. Aboard cumbersome, 12-foot-long wooden skies, these tough men scoured Yellowstone's winter terrain to put together a thorough census of the park's bison and elk. Hough wrote up the expedition in a series of 14 articles which resulted in Congress ultimately passing the anti-poaching Lacey Act and helped turn public opinion against a proposed railroad through the park. His witty and entertaining articles are a wonderful description of winter travel in the park in 1894, immensely entertaining and historically significant. Includes nine historic Yellowstone National Park photos by F. Jay Haynes

Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country

by William Fritz & Robert Thomas

Updated, classic roadside geology book for the Yellowstone Region explains current geological theories.

Afternoon: Program Registration. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, other important information, and to confirm when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, our plated dinner will include salad, fresh charbroiled hamburger, hand-cut fries and choice of soft drink, coffee, tea, water. Other drinks available for purchase.

Evening: Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is staffed with both an instructor who is an expert naturalist and will give lectures and lead field trips and a Group Leader who will deal primarily with logistics. Only “over snow vehicles” are allowed in Yellowstone National Park during the winter months. We will travel in the park one day on snow coaches — specialized van-type vehicles that travel over snow and ice that move at very slow speed limits through the park (25 mph). Expect a lot of time spent in the snow coaches, but there will commentary from your instructor all along the way and many stops to take in the winter landscape and the wildlife. Another day traveling into the park will be on snowmobiles traveling all together at slow speeds under the direction of trained guides. If you choose to not take part in any of the outdoor activities, less active options available are the IMAX Theater or shopping in West Yellowstone. Much of the walking to and from activities and in Yellowstone National Park will be on packed snow and possible icy areas. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Breakfast: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated breakfast from the menu plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Morning: We will enjoy an overview from our instructor introducing the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and history of the Yellowstone volcano.

Lunch: In the hotel hospitality room, we will enjoy a catered buffet lunch featuring salad, main entrée and dessert. Coffee, tea, water included.

Afternoon: We will experience winter ecology via an interpreted snowshoe walk at the edge of town on Riverside Trail, where we will discuss animal tracks, scat and sign, and consider habits and habitat —what do they tell us about critters' winter behavior?

Dinner: At our classroom site, we will enjoy a catered dinner, including salad, main entrée with one side, dessert. Coffee, tea, water included. Other beverages available for purchase beforehand.

Morning: We’ll head out for a full day, naturalist-led adventure into Yellowstone Park to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone area via heated, over-the-snow vehicles called snow coaches. We’ll thread among the park's breathtaking winter beauty along the Madison and Gibbon Rivers to Norris Junction, then eastward toward Canyon, with several moderate walks to scenic overlooks.

Afternoon: We will spend more time at the canyon for photo opportunities and trailside interpretation, where winter's white and iron grip only adds to the magnificence. Upper Fall's roaring, 109' plunge and Lower Fall's classically spectacular 308' sweep into ice-swathed depths. Here, beautifully tinted walls result from hot water's action on volcanic rock.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated dinner, including salad, main entrée with side & dessert. Soft drink, coffee, water, tea included. Other drinks available for purchase.

Breakfast: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated breakfast from a limited menu, with coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Morning: Following breakfast, we will visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center where we will learn about the wildlife of Yellowstone: predator and prey, habitat requirements, winter range, populations and more. The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is dedicated to providing visitors to the Yellowstone area the unique opportunity to learn about, view and ultimately appreciate the grizzly bear and gray wolf.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated meal, featuring salad, pizza and soft drink, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After instruction from ski outfitter, we will start our cross country ski trek on nearby Rendezvous Trail System, which encompasses over 18 miles (30 km) of groomed trails on gently rolling terrain in and out of lodgepole pine forest and open meadows. We’ll discuss winter ecology, tracks, and scat.

Dinner: In the hotel hospitality room we will enjoy a catered dinner, including salad, main entrée with one side, dessert. Coffee, tea, water included. Other beverages available for purchase beforehand.

Evening: This evening in the hospitality room we will enjoy a lecture on the wolves of Yellowstone from our instructor.

Morning: We will next enjoy a full-day guided snowmobile field adventure into Yellowstone National Park, to Old Faithful via Firehole Canyon, Lower and Midway Geyser Basins. We’ll enjoy riding as driver or passenger on two-person snowmobile, exhilarating among breathtaking wonders of the Great Caldera, a land that holds one half of the world's geothermal features - geysers, hot springs, mudpots and fumaroles! We’ll also go on several walks among steamy, sulfur-scented Old Faithful and Lower Geyser Basins.

Lunch: Near Old Faithful, we will enjoy a sack lunch with sandwich, chips, cookie, & fruit.

Afternoon: Our adventure continues through Yellowstone's winter whiteness, where we can expect to see bison, elk and waterfowl, perhaps coyote and bald eagle. Swan sighting possible along the Madison River. Discovery beckons and awaits around each bend of the road!

Dinner: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated meal, featuring salad, main entrée with a side, dessert, plus soft drink, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: The mind reels after our exploration of national forest land on Yellowstone's western border and ventured into Yellowstone National Park, encountering new visions, scents, and sounds, to be introduced to the greatest predator of all: winter. We’ll enjoy an evening wrap-up that ties up loose ends, answers questions, and brings the learning adventure to a gratifying conclusion.

DAY

6

Program Concludes

West Yellowstone, MT

B

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m. For those requiring the group shuttle to the airport, the taxi departs from outside the hotel lobby at 8:30 a.m. This is not included in the program price; advanced reservations are required.

Breakfast: Motel buffet. This concludes our program.

Morning: We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals

14 Meals

5 Breakfasts

4 Lunches

5 Dinners

The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Vegetarian, Gluten Free

Lodging

Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.

What an amazing experience. Our guide Heather was very knowledgeable and we were blessed with seeing wolves, coyote and fox . The activity was well spaced with down time and learning . Would highly recommend

Plenty of tourists visit Yellowstone in winter, but not the hordes of summer. So if you're hardy enough for cold/snow/ice, this is the time to go. The park is gorgeous in winter, and your guides know how to show you the best of it. Charley and Lee will suggest how to dress for each day's adventures as well as provide lots of fascinating information about the park. Although not everyone wore them, I personally suggest bringing along a pair of Yaktrax or similar traction device.
All meals are ample and tasty. Be prepared to get up early and walk outside for breakfast; three days we walked across a small parking lot and two days to restaurants a few blocks away.
Some of us took the opportunity to peel off from the group when we'd had enough of various activities; our leaders were very accommodating. We saw plenty of wildlife (think bison!) and geothermal phenomena. Use of Road Scholar provided listening devices made sure we didn't miss any of Lee's fascinating commentary.
Our small group (the max of 14) was a collection of wonderful people of different backgrounds and the perfect size for our adventures. Most of us flew into Bozeman and took the recommended group taxi to West Yellowstone, a ride of about 2 hrs. If you do this, make sure you double check the time you need to meet up for the taxi. We stayed in Bozeman two nights before (and rented a car for a couple of days) to allow for airline delays and cancellations and also explore Bozeman while doing some altitude adjustment. There are lots of good restaurants, as well as the Museum of the Rockies and the Grizzly Encounter, both of which we chose to visit and enjoyed.
If you're a good walker who can handle cold, snow, & ice, do this trip!

It was awesome getting to see Yellowstone in the winter! It was great to stretch my comfort level while spending the week in the snow and learning how to snowboard, cross country ski and ride a snowmobile. It was fun getting to know the other participants from all over the country that share a passion for travel and learning. My husband and I highly recommend this trip!

Experiencing Yellowstone in the winter is not to be missed! The activities were amazing and our leaders were so knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. I never thought that at 68 I would drive my first snow mobile, see the glory of Yellowstone and drive through a herd of bison. WOW!!!!